Yarn conditioning process and compositions therefor



Patented Aug. 9, 1938 amen PATENT OFFICE YARN CONDITIONING PROCESS AND COM- POSITIONS THEREFOR Joseph B. Dickey and James a. McNally, Rochester,

New Jersey 7 N. 1., assignors to Eastman Kodak Companmllpchester, N. E, a corporation of No Drawing. Application November 26, 1937,

' Serial lio.'176,688

s Claim This inventionrelates to the conditioning of textile yarns and. more particularly to the conditioning of filaments and yarns composed of organic derivatives of cellulose such as cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate propionate, cellulose acetate butyrate, etc., to render them more amenable to textile operations such as knitting and the like.)

As is well known in the manufacture of yarns,

10 particularly those composed of or containing cellulose organic derivatives, it is necessary to treat the yarn in order to reduce the tendency toward breakage of the individual filaments or fibers when they are subjected to various mechanical l5 strains and to lubricate the yarn in order to facilitate handling in such operations as spinning, twisting. winding and reeling. In addition, it is necessary to treat yarn to adapt it for use as warp or filling or for the manufacture of various types 29 of knitted fabrics. In knitting, it is particularly important that the yarn be soft and pliable in order that it may conform readily to the contour of the needles and thus produce a closely knit fabric free from such defects as stitch distor- 25 tion, "pin holes, laddering, and the like.

Heretofore it has been proposed to employ softening agents such as polyhydric alcohols and similar agents as ingredients of yarn conditioning or lubricating formulas, generally in connections with mineral, animal or vegetable oils. It has been found, however, that most of the known softening agents and the various formulas containing them have certain drawbacks, one of the most serious of which is high'vapor pressure, and in some cases too drastic a solvent action on the yarn. Many of such agents possess slight or insuificient solvent power for the lubricants with which they are used and it is accordingly necessary to employ blending agents or emulsifying agents in order to obtain operable yarn treating formulas. In addition, many of the known softening and'lubricating agents are -insufllciently soluble in water to permit satisfactory removal 45 by aqueous scour baths.

This invention has as provide an entirely new class of yarn conditioning agents which are particularly adapted for the treatment of yarns composed of or containing organic derivatives of cellulose and capable of lubricating, softening and rendering such yarns more amenable to knitting and other textile operations. A further and specific object is to provide a class of conditioning agents which augment or 55 assitt the lubricating action, of various lubricants its principal object to especially amenable to textile operations includ ing knitting, weaving, spinning and the like. Other objects will appear hereinafter.

These objects are accomplished by the follow- I ing invention which, in its broader aspects, com prises the discovery that keto-ethers having the eneral formula:

where R is an alkyl group, may be used as yarn conditioning agents and particularly as softening agents, with or without the addition of animal, mineral or vegetable oils, in the treatment of yarns composed of or containing organic derivatives of cellulose. We have found that these compounds have a slight solvent and/or softening action on cellulose organic derivative yarns which renders such yarns soft and pliable without at the same time having too drastic a solvent action thereon.

In accordance with the invention these compounds may be applied directly to the yarn during or after spinning, or may be added to the spinning solution itself. We have found that these compounds have exceptional solvent powers which enable them to dissolve mineral. oils and blown and unblown, drying and semi-drying vegetable and animal oils and accordingly they may be, and preferably are, employed as ingredients of yarn conditioning or lubricating formulas in conjunction with agents which function wholly or partially as lubricants.

In the following examples and description we have set forth several of the preferred embodiments of our invention, butthey are included merely for purposes of illustration and not as a limitation thereof.

The preparation of the keto-ethers of the above indicated structural formula may be prepared in general accordance with the article by Alfred Hoffman appearing on page 532 of volume 49 of the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Our invention willmore readily be understood Example I Yarn designed for knitting and composed of cellulose acetate is treated by applying thereto diacetone propyl ether by means of an applicator Example II A conditioning liquid is made up by mixing the following ingredients in the indicated proportions:

Percent Diacetone methyl ether '70 Olive oil a 30 This composition is applied to a cellulose acetate yarn intended for knitting in an amount repre- Percent Diacetone ethyl ether 60 Blown olive oil p 40 Example IV a Percent Diacetone butyl ether 70 Light mineral oil I 30 Example V Percent Diacetone butyl ether 30 Neat's-foot oil 70 I Example VI I Percent Diacetone amyl ether 20 Blown neats-foot oil 30 Sulfonated olive oil 20 White mineral 10 Oleic acid 10 Ethanolamine 3 Water z '1 Example VII Percent Diacetone methyl ether 20 V, Sperm oi 60 Laurol 20 Example VIII Percent Diacetone hexyl ether 50 I Blown sperm nil 3 senting 4 to 25% by weight of the untreated yarn. The filaments or fibers treated as described above are quite soft and pliable and give excellent results in textile operations, especially in knitting.

Other examples of yarn conditioning compositions which may be applied tovarious types of yarn, particularly those composed 01' or containing cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate propionate, cellulose acetate butyrate and similar cellulose organic acid esters in accordance with our invention and which render such yarns soft and pliable and especially well adapted for various textile operations, particularly knitting, are the following:

Example III Sulfonated castor oil 20 Example IX A 20% solution of cellulose acetate in acetone in which is incorporated 1 to 25% of the weight of the cellulose acetate of diacetone ethyl ether isextruded through fine orifices into an evaporative atmosphere. The filaments thus produced are wound, or twisted and wound. Yarns pro duced from filaments thus prepared are pliable and suitable for knitting.

Other examples of yarn conditioningv agents which may be employed in accordance with our invention are as follows:

Example X Percent Diacetone propyl ether 10 Sulfonated olive oil 5 Water 80 Gelatin 5 Example XI Percent Diacetone butyl ether Diethylene glycol 5 Water sol. cell. ether 5 Example XII Percent Diacetone butyl ether 10 Blown olive oil 60 Mineral nil 30 Example XIII Percent Diacetone amyl ether 1 Blown olive oil 40 Tetrahydrofurfuryl oleate 20 Mineral oil--- 30 Example XIV Percent Diacetone cyclohexyl ether 10 Blown olive oil 28 Mineral oil 20 Oleic acid 20 Sodium cetyl sulfate 5 Sulfonated olive oil Sodium sulphate 2 As will be apparent from the above examples and description, the conditioning agents of our invention may be applied by a wide variety of methods. For example, we may employ the agent as an ingredient of the spinning dope from which the filaments are formed, the amount of the agent so employed depending upon a number of factors, such as the particular cellulose derivative used in making up the spinning solution, and the degree of softness or pliability desired in the yarn, etc.

If the conditioning agent is to be applied to the yarn after spinning, this may be done by bringing the yarn in contact with a wick, roll, or felt wet therewith or the liquid may be applied by immersion, spray, or otherwise. The particular point at which the liquid is applied may vary. It may, for example, be applied to the yarn inside or outside the spinning cabinet, between the guide and godet roll, between the godet or other roll or guide and the point of winding and/or twisting. In some cases, the liquid may even be applied to the yarn after winding onto cones, spools, bobbins, or the like or by theso-called "bobbin to bobbin" method. In the case of staple fiber manufacture, the liquid may be applied to the yarn prior to, or after cut- I by weight, based on the weight of the dry yarn,

may be satisfactory, while if the yarn is intended for weaving, the amount may vary between about 1 and 5%.

Although in the above examples we have referred primarily to yarn treating compositions containing only the conditioning agent and an on, other ingredients such as solvents, non-sol containing specific percentages of the various ingredients, these percentages may vary widely depending upon the particular purpose forwhich the composition is intended. For example,- if it is desired to control the solvent or softening action of the conditioning agent, the amount of the agent may be adjusted as, for example, by

' reducing the amount of'the agent and correthe yarn material.

spondingly increasing the amount of oil or other ingredient.

While we have described our invention with particular reference to, the treatment of yarnscomposed of organic derivatives of cellulose such as cellulose acetate, the conditioning agents and formulas described herein are applicable to the conditioning of many other types of cellulose de rivative yarns such as those composed of or containing cellulose propionate, cellulose butyrate, cellulose acetate propionate, cellulose acetate butyrate, ethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, benzyl cellulose and others, as well as tothe conditioning of silk, wool, cotton, viscose and other natural or artificial materials; a a

The term yarn as used herein and in the claims is to be understood as including a single filament, a plurality of filaments associated into the form of a thread, either of high or low twist, single or multiple threads associated or twisted together, composite threads composed of a mixture o'fnatural and artificial filaments or a composite thread, formed by twisting together individual strands of natural.or artificial materials, as well as cut staple fibers produced from natural and/or artificial filaments or threads and spun yarn produced from such staple fibers.

As indicated above, the yarn conditioning agents of our invention are exceptionally good solvents for a wide variety of mineral, blown and unblown, drying and semi-drying animal and vegetable oils such as cottonseed, olive, castor, neats-foot, sperm and other oils. This enables them to be used with any of such oils in making up a variety of yarn treating formulas of varying composition. I

The yarn conditioning method and compositions of our invention possess many outstanding advantages. The fundamental and outstanding characteristic of the agents employed in accordance with the invention is their ability to soften yarns, especially those composed of or containing organic derivatives of cellulose such as cellulose acetate and render them soft and pliable and amenable to various textile operations, especially operations such as those involved in weaving and knitting where complicated designs or stitches are employed without too drastic an action on teristicofthese compounds is their exceptional solvent power for a wide variety of mineral, animal and vegetable oils and their ability to act as Another outstanding characlubricating assistants in conjunction with these oils when applied to such yarns. In addition, due to their solubility in water, they may be readily removed from yarns and fabrics by means of the usual aqueous scour baths. By employing the yarn conditioning agents and method of our invention as hereindescribed, one is enabled to obtain highly satisfactory results in the manufacture of yarns and woven fabrics and especially the production from these yarns of closely knit fabrics free from defects such as pin holes, stitch v distortion, laddering and the like.

where R is an alkyl group.

2. The process of conditioning yarn composed of or containing organic derivatives of cellulose to render it more amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning, "and the like which comprises applying thereto a lubricating and softening composition containing as its essential lubricating and softening compound a keto-etherhaving. the general formula:

OH: cued-cure o-cm where R is an alkyl group.

3. The process of conditioning yarn composed of or containing cellulose acetate to render it more amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning and the like, which comprises applying thereto a lubricating and softening composition containing as its essential lubricating and softening component a keto-ether having the general formula:

C r-C'CH2-C O--CH3 where R is an alkyl group.

4. The process of conditioning yarn composed of or containing cellulose acetate .to render it more amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning and the like, which comprises applying thereto a lubricating and softening composition containing as its essential lubricating and softening component a keto-ether having the general formula:

where R is an alkyl group anda textile lubricant.

5. The process of conditioning yarn composed of or containing cellulose acetate to render it more amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving,spinning and the like, which comprises applying thereto a lubricating and softening composition containing as its essential lubricating and softening component diacetone ethylether.

6'. The process of conditioning yarn composed of or containing cellulose acetate to render it more amenable to textile operations including knitting,

weaving, spinning and the like, which comprises applying thereto a lubricating and softening composition containing as its essential lubricating and softening component diacetone butyl ether.

7. The process of conditioning yarn composed of or containing cellulose acetate to render it more amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning, and the like, which comprises applying thereto a lubricating and softening composition containing as its essential lubricating and softening component diacetone hexyl ether.

8. A conditioning agent for rendering yarns more amenable to textile operations. including knitting, weaving, spinning and the like, which comprises a keto-ether having' the general formula:

cm om-Lc'm-co-om where R is an alkyl group,

. 9. A conditioning agent for rendering yarns composed of or containing organic derivatives of cellulose more amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning and the ,like,

which comprises a keto-ether having the general formula:

CH: cin-d-om-co-cm n :vherel R is an 'alkyl group and a textile lubricatng o 10. A conditioning agent for rendering yarns composed of or-containing cellulose acetate more more amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning and the like, containing diacetone hexyl ether.

13. Textile yarn amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning and the like, impregnated with a lubricant containing a ketoether having the general formula:

OH: CHr-(B-GHr-C 0-CH:

where R is an alkyl group.

15. Textile yarn composed of or containing organic derivatives of cellulose amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning and the like, impregnated with a con-' ditioning agent comprising a keto-ether having the general formula:

CH: CHr--CHc-C 0-.CHI

where R is an alkyl group and a textile lubricant.

16. Textile yarns composed of or containing cellulose acetate amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning and the like, impregnated with a lubricant comprising diacetone ethyl ether.

17. Textile yarns composed of or containing cellulose acetate amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning and the like, impregnated with a lubricant comprising diacetone butyl ether.

18. Textile yarns composed of or containing cellulose acetate amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning and thelike, impregnated with a lubricant comprising diacetone hexyl ether.

. JAMES G. McNALLY. JOSEPH B. DICKEY. 

